You are invited to participate in a three-day total immersion in the world of comic art and the graphic novel, including a full-day Visual Art Performance Event (VAPE) that will result in the production of a unique comic art work, followed by a half-day Symposium and Public Seminar on graphic literature in South Africa today.

The event is facilitated by five very experienced comic artists, each specialising in a different aspect of the discipline. Participants will work with all facilitators in small group situations.

Participation will be limited to visual arts or design students, practicing artists or artists who have produced some work in comic art or related disciplines. The theoretical and practical components of the event will be demanding and will require total focus and dedication by participants for the three-day period.

Storyboards, character refinement, dialogue, finished art and production

15H00: PRACTICAL GROUPWORK (All facilitators)

16H30: PRESENTATIONS OF GROUPWORK

SUNDAY 23MAY (PHILLIPI VENUE)

VISUAL ART PERFORMANCE EVENT (VAPE)

09H00: ORIENTATION Loosening up exercises (Andy Mason)

09H30: FINAL BRIEFING (All facilitators)

10H00: GROUP PRODUCTION OF LARGE-SCALE COMIC PANELS

13H00: LUNCH

14HOO: GROUP PRODUCTION CONTINUES

16H00: FINALISATION

17H00: EXHIBITION, PERFORMANCE, CELEBRATION

MONDAY 24 MAY

Monday is a free day, but the venues will be open to those artists who wish to make finishing touches to the work produced during the Vape.

TUESDAY 25 MAY

14H00 SYMPOSIUM AT STELLENBOSCH UNIVERSITY

‘The Invisibles: Rediscovering South Africa’s graphic novelists’

(Facilitated by Stella Viljoen)

17H30 EXHIBITION OF VAPE PANELS, CHEESE & WINE

19H00: ‘THE INVISIBLES’: PUBLIC SEMINAR AT STELLENBOSCH UNIVERSITY

(Participants to be announced)

REGISTRATION

To register, please use our online registration form, or you can download and email it to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. The deadline for registration is Friday 14 May.

FEES

* R1000 for registered students

* R1500 for professional artists, designers and cartoonists

* Fees include include the full three-day Programme with lunch and tea, art materials for the VAPE, plus entrance to the Symposium and public debate.

BURSARIES AND TRAVEL SUBSIDIES

A limited number of bursaries are available for financially disadvantaged applicants or those requiring a travel subsidy. Please indicate on the registration form if you require a bursary or travel subsidy.

PAYMENT PROCESS

Upon registration a confirmation email with PAYMENT DETAILS and directions to the venues will be emailed to you.

VENUES

The venue for the workshops on 21 and 22 May is the Visual Arts Department at the Stellenbosch University.

The venue for the VAPE on Sunday 23 May is the Old Cement Factory in Philippi, a fascinating structure that has been used as a film location for fashion shoots and sci-fi movies.

THE FACILITATORS

JEAN-PHILIPPE (JP) KALONJI

Born with a pencil in his hand and hailing from the Democratic Republic of the Congo JP has been living in Geneva since 1973. Through the productions of the publishers Atoz and Paquet, JP first presented the environment from which he hails: the urban culture (Street Nations, Jungle Blues). From a profound critique of Genevese society (Helvethika series), through poetry (Mélancholie), tackling contemporary history and comedy (O’Malley series), Jean-Philippe Kalonji, finally returns to the classics and to the western seen through modern eyes (Las Chicas). His works, which are sold all over Europe and the French-speaking world, have also been exported under other skies and to other environments. Not only has he contributed to a Swiss (Passage) and a Swedish (Nada Magazine) art magazine, but he has also collaborated with Sony Records, being in charge of the graphic art of the CD cover of artist Wyclef Jean.

ANDY MASON

Head of CCIBA’s Comic Art Unit, Andy works as a freelance writer, cartoonist and editor. Published under the pen names N.D.Mazin and Pooh, his underground comix include Cogent & Crint, Vittoke in Azania, The Big Chillum, The Vittokes, The Legend of Blue Mamba, New Planet TV and The Artist’s Life. His self-published ‘zines, in which these comics have appeared, include PAX (Pre-Azanian Comix) and Mamba Comix. His recent book, Don’t Joke! The Year in Cartoons, co-edited with John Curtis, was published by Jacana Media in December 2009. His forthcoming book, What’s So Funny? Under the Skin of South African Cartooning (Juta Double Storey) is presently in production and will be published in May/June 2010.

JESSE BREYTENBACH

Jesse graduated from Rhodes University in 1995 with an MFA in Printmaking. Since then she has worked as a freelance illustrator, producing illustrations for educational publishers and advertising agencies in a variety of media (including knitting, embroidery, relief prints, drawing and painting). She has collaborated on three short animated films, and published weekly and monthly comic strips for SL magazine. Her debut graphic novel I Don’t Like Chocolate was published by Oshun in 2008.

MOGOROSI MOTSHUMI

Born in Batho township near Bloemfontein in the 50s, Mogorosi grew up as a township kid, except that he became a comics fanatic at an early age, collecting Marvel and Archie comics and drawing incessantly. In his 20s, Mogorosi drew cartoons for the Bloemfontein paper The Friend, followed by a ten-year stretch drawing the famous township strip, Sloppy, for Learn and Teach magazine. After that he drew Offside, a soccer strip, for City Press. In amongst all of this he was detained by the apartheid security police, went through fame, poverty, divorce and alcoholism and had to learn how to live with HIV. Currently, Mogorosi is working on his autobiographical graphic novel, Hard Rock.

PETE WOODBRIDGE

Best know for his work at Strika Entertainment where he was one of the head illustrators on the Supa Strikas comic, drawing has been Pete’s way of communicating since he was 4.2 inches high. He has loved collecting and reading comics ever since. Pete has an advertising diploma covering art direction, storyboarding and advertising. His main inspiration and interest comes from people and as a result he has created thousands of wiry portraits while doodling faces on the train.